Kumquats are a seasonal fall and winter fruit but many of us never use them in cooking! What do you do with them anyway?  I’ve developed these recipes that I know you’ll love.

This grape-sized fruit is in the citrus family.  They have a hint of sweetness. You can eat the skin but the juice is sour and tabby.

I love Kumquats because they are so versatile. In addition to pureeing them for the Bellini below, you can pickle them, candy them, put them into marmalades and relishes, and also use them in stews. Their acidity pairs perfectly with luxurious, rich meat dishes.

For the Kumquat Bellini, I chose to use grapefruit and a bit of lemon in addition to the kumquats because I love the mix of flavors. If you don’t want to use regular sugar, agave is a wonderful substitute. Let me know how yours turn out!

 

Kumquat Bellini
Kumquat Bellini
Print Recipe Kumquat Bellini
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • ½ cup kumquats cut in half lengthwise and de-seeded
  • Juice from ½ grapefruit
  • Juice from ½ lemon
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 bottle of sparkling wine

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients aside from the sparkling wine into a blender and puree until smooth, at least 1 whole minute. At this point you can prepare the kumquat puree up to 5 days ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator.
  • When ready to serve, fill up each champagne glass a third of the way with the kumquat puree, then top them off with the wine.